This site is designed to help journalists in both Canada and the United States in the use of federal and provincial access to information legislation. BCJC represents print, radio and television journalists, freelance researchers and media lawyers and began as an advocacy group to help strengthen B.C.'s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. While we continue to act as a lobby group in representing journalists' concerns about access legislation, particularly in B.C., we endeavour to offer FOI-related resources to journalists.

In 1998, in cooperation with the B.C. Press Council, we released a major report, "For The Record", containing important newspaper stories published in B.C. as a direct result of the FOI legislation -- a report that shows the importance of preserving and protecting the best features of the province's FOI Act. See Press Release, Appendix.

As of this date, the provincial government's all-party legislative committee reviewing the FOIPP Act has not fufilled its mandate or presented its findings to the Legislature. It is not a good sign that the committee, which was required to place its report before the Legislature in October, 1998, has yet to complete its work. In part, that delay is due to the government's cutback in FOI funding for various ministries; cutbacks that were initiated despite government promises not to make any changes to the FOI process before the committee tables its review.